Religious controversy in the 1600’s

By: Maggie Pearce

Judith in 1612

“Absolute Monarchy”

Monarch has complete authority as head of state and head of government

Expected to have same religious beliefs as their ruler

“disloyal” if otherwise

Witch craftSalem Witch Trials of 1692

Many people claimed to be witches as well as many people accused of witchcraft

the rich was most accused

Often prosecuted and hanged

Salem Covenants of 1629 & 1636

Devoting one’s life to serving God

Simple doctrine of the fundamentals of starting one’s religious journey

A promise to avoid evil and follow His rules

If you please God, He will take care of the rest leaving you with no misfortunes

Positive, uplifting tone

Compared to...

21st Century; Bush’s “History’s Unmarked Grave of Discarded Lies”

setting boundaries for war

No longer about following God, but now there is constant war between races, religions, countries

Dynamic of religion has completely changed

Tone changes to negative and dark, the theme is now war instead of peace

The Baptist’s Confession of 1644

Rejected the notion of eternal generation of the Son

Stated “the terrors of the law were not needed to do what the gospel alone has the power to do”

Written in order to influence more professions of faith and to reveal the identity of other religions

Same idea of uplifting tone and the theme of being united

Compared To...

Dr. Michael Kerze’s speech of “The Role of Religion in the 21st Century”

Catholic by birth however, speaks as a Buddhist

Now, there is much confusion and tension between religions whereas before, religions were simple defining their beliefs

Change in Roles

Religion was of great importance of the 1600’s

Documents covered simple promises and guidelines of how to live

Religious speeches and documents now are much more complicated covering war guidelines and allowing confusion between religions

Annotated Bibliography

"Academics." Salem State University: Salem Covenants of 1629 and 1636. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://www.salemstate.edu/academics/schools/5556.php>.

I found this website very helpful because it provided both Salem Covenants and an analysis of their importance and why they were written. This is a reliable source because I found it on Salem State University’s webpage therefore the information is valid and can be trusted.

"Covenants.html." Index. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://www.constitution.org/primarysources/covenants.html>.

This source is another which provides more in-depth analysis of the Salem Covenants. I found it very useful because it also provided other important religious documents of that time period that were significant and compared them to the Salem Covenants.

Continued...

"Religion in the 21st Century." The Living Dharma. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.livingdharma.org/MemorableSermons/Kerze-RoleOfReligion.html>.

This is part Dr. K’s speech. I find this source reliable because it states religious facts and is part of “The Living Dharma.” This source helped me analyze his speech and his position on his religious beliefs.

"Internet History Sourcebooks." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.asp>.

This source is reliable because I found it on Fordham University’s webpage. It showed important religious speeches of the 21st Century and explained their significance in our world today.